Legal advisory service for older people
Summary
The legal advisory service for older people (‘Servicio de Orientación Jurídica’ in Spanish, hereafter referred to as SOJ) was implemented throughout the month of November 2015 on the initiative of the Social Action Area of Bilbao City Council, in collaboration with the Bar Association of Bizkaia (‘Ilustre Colegio de la Abogacía de Bizkaia’ or ‘ICASV’), with the aim of providing a legal advisory service aimed at people aged over 60 and residing in Bilbao through the signing of a bilateral agreement.
A team of five lawyers (members of the Bar Association), made the service directly available through the Municipal Social Service Departments in Deusto, San Francisco, Rekalde, Basurto and Santutxu, working in spaces set up for this purpose in the municipal offices of the aforementioned departments. The service is provided from Mondays to Fridays, from 10:00 to 11:00, with each department being served on one day of the week. Sessions are organised as follows: Mondays in Santutxu, Tuesdays in Rekalde, Wednesdays in Basurto, Thursdays in San Francisco and Fridays in Deusto. In order to facilitate this service, the ICASV receives a grant from Bilbao City Council which is awarded for the sole purpose of funding the costs associated with the provision of this service. The appointments are scheduled on a twice-daily basis (half an hour per appointment). The availability of this service in both Euskera and Spanish has been guaranteed, at all times, throughout the entire duration of the agreement.
The SOJ was aimed at over-60s residing in the municipality of Bilbao and living with limited financial resources. This group of people requires solutions which are visible, effective, accessible and suited to their economic means and capacity.
General and specific objectives of the project
• To ensure that the rights and the wellbeing of older people are protected.
• To promote older people’s sense of independence, participation, wellness, self-fulfillment, and dignity. (Principles established by the United Nations General Assembly in Resolution 46/91).
• To assist in detecting problems linked to risk and vulnerability for the target group.
In this way, the SOJ provides a response to the regulatory current that acknowledges the social reality of the current ageing of the population and considers older people to be independent and capable, providing this group with dignity through a perspective that goes beyond mere regulatory concerns.
Key facts
Main target group: Vulnerable older people (e.g. at risk or victims of abuse, living alone, poor etc.)
Other target group(s): Older people in Bilbao with limited financial resources
Sector(s): Information and communication, Social protection
Other sector(s): -Respect and social inclusion -Social services and health services
Desired outcome for older people:
Learn, grow and make decisions
- Inequities
- Inclusion